AIR-CUSHION VEHICLE Russian patent published in 2008 - IPC B60V3/06 

FIELD: transportation.

SUBSTANCE: air-cushion vehicle has a hull, pressure plant with a steering arrangement and air lines to feed air into air-cushion via the shipboard flexible guard elements made in the form of flexible panels with their top edge rigidly fastened on the hull, a flexible stern guard, a flexible head guard and sidewalls. The vehicle incorporates a distributing manifold arranged above the flexible stern guard with its inlet section being connected to the pump unit lower section. The outlet section consists of three systems of outlets, the first of them communicating with the side flexible guard spaces, the second one communicating with the stern flexible guard space and third one communicates directly with the air-cushion. Air if fed into the side flexible guard spaces from side of diameter plane towards the sidewalls. The panels lower edges are fastened to the vehicle bottom to elastic air channels. The panels lower part feature the holes letting air into the air-cushion and used also for water or snow disposal. The panels holes can be furnished with elastic nozzles arranged at 30° to 60° to the vehicle diameter plane with their outlets facing the air-cushion. Elastic lengthwise plates can be arranged on the panels outer surface.

EFFECT: higher reliability, economy in use, damage tolerance and durability of flexible guard.

3 cl, 5 dwg